Development of the Next Generation of Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Shields

Abstract

Abstract. The novel structure of metallic foams is of interest in the design of next-generation debris shields as it introduces physical mechanisms that are advantageous to hypervelocity impact shielding (e.g. increased fragmentation/melt/vaporization, energy dissipation, etc.). Preliminary investigations have shown improved shielding capability over traditional spacecraft primary structures. In this paper, the results of a current hypervelocity impact test program on metallic open-cell foam core sandwich panels are reported. A preliminary ballistic limit equation has been derived from the experimental results, and is presented in a form suitable for implementation in risk assessment software codes.

Hypervelocity Impacts on Satellite Sandwich Structures—A Review of Experimental Findings and Predictive Models

“…Micro-meteoroids and orbital debris can be combated with alternative shielding applications, such as open cell foam-core sandwich panels (FCSP), which possess comparable or improved ballistic performance to HCSP due to lack of channeling effect and repetitive interaction of the projectile fragments with individual ligaments of an open-cell foam, which was found to result in significantly reducing the fragments' damaging potential (the so-called "multishock effect" of foam [5,54]) [16,19,21].…”

“…Previously, Ryan, Christiansen and Lear defined a preliminary BLE for metallic foam structures, encompassed in Equation 10, valid for fully fragmented (shattered upon impact) projectiles [54].…”

Numerical Simulation of Impact Damage Induced by Orbital Debris on Shielded Wall of Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel

“…The BLE for sizing of the FCSP used in this study was adopted from Ref. [63]. It defines the critical projectile diameter capable of perforating a foam-core panel: 3.…”